Chennai: 9.5-km stretch gets CCTV coverage

TNN | Updated: Nov 29, 2018, 8:58 IST

The Chennai police plan to install CCTV cameras every 50 metres on arterial roads like Poonamallee High Road, ...Read More

CHENNAI: In the first phase of work to bring every inch of the city under surveillance, police have begun work to install CCTV cameras every 50 metres on arterial roads like Poonamallee High Road, Anna Salai, RK Mutt Road and Nungambakkam High Road. “About 60% of cameras on these stretches have been installed,” said police commissioner A K Viswanathan, after inaugurating 437 CCTV cameras installed on Poonamallee High Road at a ceremony at the Ega Theatre junction on Wednesday. Cameras on the arterial stretch have been fixed from Kilpauk to Koyambedu, covering a distance of 9.5 km. Of the 437, at least 88 CCTV cameras installed at vantage points have been linked to the centralised traffic police control room in the commissioner’s office. With CCTV cameras proving increasingly helpful in solving crime, the city police strengthened the street surveillance system. Apart from this, personnel from various wings of the police such as traffic, law and order are working with sponsors to install cameras in respective neighbourhoods. Police have vowed to ensure CCTV cameras are installed in all commercial establishments and residences in the city. “Apart from nabbing miscreants, CCTV cameras come in handy in resolving several issues such as traffic and crowd management,” Viswanathan said. The department has often conducted awareness drives on installing CCTV cameras among the members of the public. The department has also identified at least 31,802 small businesses, 15,345 important commercial complexes, marriage halls, hospitals and malls which have the potential to host, share CCTV surveillance inputs with police.

Recently, Viswanathan inaugurated 1,000 CCTV cameras installed at 367 places in Nolambur police station limits. So far, the city police have brought Nolambur and Seven Wells police station limits under 100% CCTV coverage. Following the footsteps, the remaining 134 police stations the city are working hard to bring every nook and cranny of their respective police station’s limits under surveillance.